This one is tough, dear reader.
The other day I received something of a professional set-back, or at the least, a disappointment. After a little advance buzz and lovely reviews from many impressive folks, Kings of Paradise has been cut from SPFBO (Self-Published-Fantasy-Blog-Off) in the very first round. The feeling, I suppose, is a bit like making it to the interview of a promotion you really want, and feel you’d be good at, then summarily being cut.
Alas, these things happen all the time. Life is not all about you (or, rather offensively, me). It is not at all times fair, and individual disaster passes unnoticed without even a whisper in the communal ear of mankind. It just feels otherwise.
I took the day for a bit of indulgent self-pity. In my case this involved chatting with a variety of lovely people (many of whom were very kind commiserators, and if you happen to be reading this let me just say thanks). I drank a fair bit of alcohol. I ate chocolate cake, and worked not a bit. You have to be a little easy on yourself at such times, to treat yourself like someone you love.
But, tomorrow, dear Richard-of-the-future, the pity-party is over. The lights are shutting off, the intoxication of misery will be shuffled out with the empty bottles. We still have a job to do. We have to pick our miserable, inadequate selves up and get on with it, because we can be sure as hell no one else is going to do it. One plays the hand one is dealt, or gives up entirely.
To succeed at writing or publishing or really any difficult thing in life, one must see failure and adversity as an opportunity to improve. What should I have done differently? Perhaps the book was wrong for this contest. Perhaps it was simply bad luck and next year I attempt again, but this time in five contests, if I can. I do more marketing. I’ve had successes already and so much more to leverage than even 6 months ago. I just need to do more. I need to produce more, edit faster, learn and try more things. I need to be better than myself yesterday.
There really isn’t much left to say. I have things to do my friends (and, I expect, so do you, so stop screwing around!). I have a book to finish because people are patiently waiting (and isn’t that bloody something?). I have new platforms to figure out (I’m thinking Wattpad this month, come check out my utterly empty profile!). I’ve started another little story I’ll stick there, and perhaps send out to my mailing list because I can, and because I’m thankful. There’s another finger-wagging message for the day: be grateful for what you have. In this modern world of amazement, most of it is astounding.
Go and do likewise, friends. Yesterday we fall; today we rise. And if you’re still not bloody motivated, I leave you with a 2 minute video from a warrior and ex-navy seal, Jocko Willink, in which he reminds you, if you’re feeling pain – good, you’re still alive. Go re-engage.
That sucks man, and frankly I am pretty surprised. I’m gonna check out who went on in that competition because I have a hard time imagining a book that’s better than yours in any such list. I read a lot. When I say “a lot” I mean that I’ve read something like 200+ books this year (and it ain’t finished yet!).
On another note, I can also totally relate to that feeling of “being crushed” when things go wrong. I imagine it a bit like when a car is being crushed it gets smaller and the stresses in the chassi start to strain. Well wishes in getting past that bullshit!
I’m eagerly looking forward to book 2 whatever any random competition on the internet says. Really, when is it coming out? I’ve checked here every day for like 2 months 😀
Ha, well, appreciate the commiseration. The book that knocked me out in this semi-finalist round is a fairly perfect demonstration of the problem with any such competition: it was an urban fantasy. So generally speaking that’s not remotely my taste, and I haven’t read it, but we’re clearly looking at a preference/style problem. Here’s the link: Out of Nowhere.
Every day! Well let me save you some pain with a little bad news: it’s going to be another couple months. I have about 20 chapters pretty polished and needing some beta reading, though…sound appealing?
SPFBO is a fickle competition, just look at The Ember Child which got a 5/5 and still wasn’t picked as the semifinalist from Dyrk Ashtons 5 books. Or in your case, a book whose lowest score from 20+ reviews in TBRindr is a 4 and with a 4.7 average low rolls the blogger and gets cut directly. Josiah Bancroft didn’t reach the finals and look how lauded that one is now. My point being is that getting cut doesn’t say much. SPFBO is far from perfect (still really useful and fun) and luck plays a big part. I’m sure you got things out from it regardless.
I liked Jockos speech. Seems like you take this setback as something good. 🙂
A wise man. Thanks for the encouragement!
Yes like most lazy, whiny creatures, I require the occasional kick in the pants. Failure can be very useful. Jocko wakes up at 4:30am every day to workout, I follow his tweets to shame myself haha.